If there was a primary focus on a rookie in the Vikings locker room last week, it was on middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley. Brinkley was the guy selected to replace starter E.J. Henderson and with the veteran out for the season because of a broken leg it was crucial that Brinkley be able to make a quick transition.

While Brinkley had a solid game Sunday, another rookie also found himself in a starting role. Jamarca Sanford replaced Tyrell Johnson at strong safety after Johnson suffered a concussion the previous week at Arizona. Sanford was a seventh-round pick of the Vikings last April out of Mississippi and had been active for 10 games this season. Primarily he had played on special teams.

But Sunday he finished tied for second on the Vikings with six tackles on defense and also had two tackles on special teams. "He did a good job," coach Brad Childress said Monday after reviewing the game film. "I thought he showed up. Showed up on special teams as well as showing up as a starting safety. I didn't see any tentativeness at all back there. He's a full speed guy and he's, as I've told you before, a bright-eyed guy, and understands what's going on and shows up at the line of scrimmage when he needs to make a play."

Sanford is a hard-hitter and aggressive player who seems to have what it takes to at least challenge Johnson for the starting job at some point. It doesn't sound like that will come this season. If Johnson is healthy this week, he is going to return to the starting role.

"Right now, Tyrell has been hurt, he'll come back and be the starter," Childress said. "Jamarca, great experience to start a game and know that you don't miss a step with him. It's hard to read into the future on what the competition looks like. By nature, being No. 2 behind a No. 1 there is always that push."

As for an update on rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin, who missed Sunday's game because of migraine headaches, there was no real new news Monday. Veteran tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said he talked to Harvin on Monday and that "he's looking right." Shiancoe declined to give any details about how Harvin said he was feeling.

Asked about Harvin's situation, Shiancoe said: "Whenever somebody like that, especially a teammate, goes through this type of adversity of illnesses or whatever you want to call it ... it's not nice. It's not something you want to see, especially out of a young guy coming out. He has a bright future as you guys can see and hopefully he'll heal from this. Our prayers are with him. I talked to him today so he's looking right."